We Are...

At first, listening to the NPR podcast was a little strange. It was odd to hear the streets and buildings I see every day described on national radio. As the piece moved on however, I eased into it and thought that it was very well done but did not shine a very good light on Penn State.

Penn State is a party school. There is no denying that. All you have to do is walk on the blue or white loop on any given weekend night and smell the alcohol or listen to the crowds of singing, crying, or puking people. The piece pointed this out specifically as they went on the bus to talk to some drunk freshman girls. The piece also pointed out the darker sides of partying when the talked about the injuries of the wing delivery man, the vandalism and break ins, and the death of Joe Dado. 

When the piece talked about the administration trying to combat drinking, the school was not put in the best light. When Graham Spanier publically denounced drinking, students booed him at football games. The piece also talked about Penn States countless efforts to stop drinking. They then mention The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's successful efforts in curbing student drinking. This part of the piece makes the reader feel bad for the women who is trying to stop drinking here at Penn State, but also makes us seem helpless and  unable to stop the drinking problem here. 

The most memorable part of the piece for me was when the writers of the piece were at the tailgate. Strangers were giving each other drinks and food as Alumni and students were tailgating together. The author of the piece said that there was a wholesome atmosphere to all of the drinking. That football, drinking, and unity among Alumni and students is just part of the Penn State culture. One of the titles of the acts was "A Drinking School with a Football Problem". This part of the piece made drinking at Penn State seem like it was not only the students but the Alumni drinking in an almost harmless and innocent way. 

To me there is no doubt that we are a party school. When the piece first pointed out the girls peeing, the removed stop sign, drunk kid in the house, and countless other things students have done I was disturbed that they showed our school in the light. I then thought to things that I have seen downtown or on frat row on the weekends and realized that while these acts are not the case for every students, there are always the very drunks select few who will do crazy stupid things. 

While I know that the majority of the student body drinks and often drinks a little too much, that is not how I would like our school to be known. We at Penn State have some business, food science, agriculture, meteorology, and many other programs that are ranked in the top five in the entire country. We have superior sports programs (besides football of course) that house national champions and world Olympic hopefuls. We have a great research and arts programs of which many revolutionary breakthroughs have come out, like the Armsby Calorimeter and the first birth control pill. We have a huge alumni base, a generally friendly student body, and an unbelievable sense of unity and pride in all we have. Penn State offers students countless possibilities and gives us chances that other schools just are not able to. So yes, Penn State is a party school and many people in the public view it only as so. Recent events have placed Penn state in an even shadier light after the whole football scandal. We as students need to remind the public of all  great academic programs , athletic teams, opportunities, and student  fellowship Penn State has so we can once again be viewed in a positive light.